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Ghosts from the past haunt us like shadows of darkness, appearing unexpectedly at the most inopportune times. With fluid tears, in a river of sorrow, we wash away the presence of the past and strive to live in today, in the moment, as our energy is renewed with each new breath.

Dark familial history is the most difficult, but, again, with each life giving breath we move forward, enjoying each moment and appreciating the gifts of life and earth we have been given. What grace it is to have this appreciation.

Gaze not on the shadows, but on the light of your true being. To feel the power of Love and Gratitude is the source of our lifelong joy.

I was caught in a downpour of rain today. The sky was thick, dark and foreboding. The water poured down in a torrent as if some invisible force had unzipped the bottom of the clouds. My clothes were soaked to my skin and, as I dashed from the house to my car, I had a serendipitous realization about life here on Earth.

As I sat in my car, drenched, my awareness was flooded with the absolute miraculousness of the process of water falling from the sky. In a way, it doesn’t seem possible. One day the skies are clear blue with warm shining sunlight and the next day water is descending and drenching from these wispy ever-changing floating objects that blot out the Sun. The cycle occurs all over the Earth and never stops. Water from the ocean rises, magically, to the sky, moves over the land, sprinkles down on the Earth and then flows endlessly through the river system back to the sea. It is an amazing system and without this process, life on Earth, as we know it, would not exist.

Earth, Air, Water and Light are all here for us to experience. Without even one of these, our life would not be. We humans breath in air, utilize the oxygen and expel carbon dioxide from our bodies. We also create this carbon dioxide via our various other activities such as the burning of fossil fuels. To counter these activities, the Earth is covered with vegetation which converts the carbon dioxide back to oxygen – the life giving part of the air that we breath.

These examples of life on Earth are the proverbial “tip of the iceburg”.

Imagine you have the opportunity to give up your body and become a minuscule spark of light-energy imbued with conscious awareness. You are confined to Earth, but you exist, also, in another dimension and have the ability, with a mere thought, to appear anywhere on Earth you wish. Think of the possibilities. No body to confine you. No gravity to hold you down. No physical pain and you would have the ability to experience the Earth as you always dreamed.

As they say, be careful what you wish for. There is a problem with this scenario. You would not have the ability to experience the miracle of life here. You couldn’t feel the wetness of the rain on your skin. You couldn’t experience the incredible feeling of air entering and exiting your body as your breath keeps you alive. You couldn’t enjoy the feeling of a warm embrace with someone you love.

My realization was firstly an experience of amazement but secondly, and more important, an experience and feeling of intense gratitude for the opportunity of human life that I have been given. I felt blessed.

The Earth has its systems and processes, but my human life and my ability to feel it all through this human body was cause for a deep feeling of awe, humility and thankfulness for my life. Our human existence is the greatest miracle of all. Without it, life just wouldn’t be the same.

Happiness: That indescribably wonderful incredible feeling of fulfillment, within, that swells up from the heart when we are connected to the power of our breath with a feeling of appreciation and gratitude for the life that we have been given. More commonly known as love. With that feeling, everything is right with the world and our soul is in peace.

Things don’t always turn out the way we want, but that is the nature of this life adventure. I have no desire to become a ballerina or rocket scientist because that is not my capability. In my journey, I follow the feeling and guidance of my heart to achieve that which is fulfilling. This journey always takes me to unexpected places.

Banish the word failure and follow your dreams. All is possible. The universe is infinite and has the capacity to fulfill all your dreams and aspirations.

Know that your ability to appreciate the beauty of an ocean sunset makes you a success. Know that your ability to appreciate the music of the songbird makes you a success. Know that your ability to appreciate the soft caress of a lover makes you a success. You are a breathing, feeling, loving human.

If you are breathing you are succeeding. Be content in the awareness, appreciation and gratitude for the life you have been given. That is the secret to inner peace and contentment – the only success we really need

Most bloggers write to be appreciated. They don’t blog for fame. They don’t blog for money. They don’t blog to pass the time of day. They blog because they have an irresistible internal energy that is calling them to interact with other humans through the two-way street called written communication.

We live in a world with little appreciation. People spend a lot of their time complaining and criticizing. Bloggers do this too, but many bloggers are trying very diligently to add to the joys of the world – to uplift the reader to a higher consciousness or, at least, to better their day. For that they ask only for a little appreciation and gratitude.

If most bloggers are like me, they are somewhat addicted to the stats page. Where are my readers coming from? What articles do they like? Are they coming back for more? Do they like what I write? Do they appreciate me?

There’s the rub. The bloggers lament. Am I appreciated for what I write. 147 hits today, 213 yesterday. They looked at many of my blogs, but no “likes” and no “comments”. Ah, at last, one comment – this reader is inspired by my latest piece and praises my writing style. Now everything is right with the world. I am inspired to write more.

Dear reader: if you enter a website or blog and read content that someone has taken the trouble to write and make available to you, please honor them. If you like what they write then click the “like” button or leave a comment. If you disagree with what they write, tell them so they can get a different perspective. We are all learning.

I hereby declare this week as Blogger Appreciation Week. Please show your appreciation for your favorite blogger with a “Like”.

Ever notice how many people express negatively everywhere about everything. Complaints about this; complaints about that. The issue is usually about past happenings. The list of subjects is endless AND no one wants to hear it – even if they are compassionate and empathetic. After the complainer leaves, there is a little voice within that says, gently and silently: “got to avoid that person . . .” Everywhere you look, people are unhappily expressing the woes of their life as if the whole world was responsible for their situation.

We create our own life. We create our own happiness. If we are unhappy we created that too. Many will disagree with this, but it is what I believe. Some people wonder why they have no friends. Even family will avoid you if you are constantly complaining.

It’s hard sometimes. Life, for most people, isn’t always easy. It actually takes a determination to be positive when we are with others, especially if we are having issues in our life. But, gratitude and appreciation is the key – for what we have been given – because we have been given so much.

We have so many concepts and expectations about how things SHOULD be and no appreciation for how they ARE. Give up talk about the past or the future. The past is gone, never to be hear again and the future, well, who knows – no-one.

The secret is to live in the NOW, in the present and enjoy what we have. You are alive – that’s what is important. Enjoy your life. Understand! You are alive. That is a miracle if there ever was one.